Posting teachers challenge for Education Dept

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 2

Following Education Minister OP Soni’s assurance of reversal of the transfer orders of SSA/RMSA teachers issued in the last about two months, the postings of 5,000 teachers, whose services were regularised recently on a fixed pay scale of 15,300 for three years, will be a big challenge for the department.

A majority of these teachers were given the place of posting of their choice. The process has led to the shifting of an equal number of teachers to new places, some even hundreds of kilometres away. They were largely aligned with the Sanjha Morcha, an association of teacher unions, which has been on a protest against the regularisation policy since October.

A senior officer said: “Managing transfers is an issue that requires serious deliberations. Those who have opted for regular jobs have been given the place of posting of their choice. They cannot be asked to go back to their original places.”

On Soni’s assurance, the officer said: “We might have to work out an option to protesting teachers posting near the area of their choice. A final call will be taken by the minister.” Soni said: “We had given the teachers time till November 30 to join as regular staff and offered them postings of their choice. Those who have opted for it will stay at the place of their choice. We will try to offer the best possible option to the protesting teachers.”

There is also a difference of opinion on the issue between two factions of the Sanjha Morcha that have emerged after yesterday’s meeting with the Education Minister. A leader of the group still continuing with the agitation at a new site in Patiala, Didar Mudki said: “A group has decided to call off the agitation. This is no way to put up a fight. We will see what the government promises and what it delivers.”

“As of now we cannot call off our agitation as the minister has agreed to only three of our demands. There are 18 more. We will have to wait till the Cabinet meeting after which we will get a clear answer about the intention of the government,” Mudki said.